How to reduce injuries in sports and athletics
with correct equipment.
Injuries can happen in sports for a number of reasons improper
equipment is a big cause. Here are some ideas on how to lesson body
injuries related to sports activities. Proper sports equipment will
help prevent serious injuries.

The first measure of safety is to wear the proper equipment. If you
play ice hockey you need to wear a HECC certified hockey helmet. If
you play football you need to wear a NOCSAE ( National Operating
Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) approved helmet. Most
sports activities have regulations on what equipment you are allowed
to wear.

Make sure to inspect you helmets weekly for damage. Helmets can get
cracked and the foam padding can be torn and need to be replaced.
The design of the sports gear can reduce potential injuries. You need
to wear protective gear that increases the impact area if you play a
contact sport. Your sports equipment needs to absorb energy through
the use of soft materials such as foam, gauze padding, nylon coated
rubber padding. Most coaches and athletic trainers know the signs or
symptoms of a concussion.

Hockey players need proper fitting hockey skates for ice hockey.
If you want to play ice hockey or already play hockey. You need to
make sure you have the correct hockey skates. You also need to make
sure the skates fit properly.
The first thing you need to do if you are serious about playing ice
hockey is have the proper fitting ice skates. Inexpensive skates are
ok but to skate and play ice hockey you need good hockey skates. The
expensive brands CCM, Bauer, Graf all have upper end hockey skates.
The skates need to have stainless steal blades not composite blades.
The higher priced skates are made with better materials and mold to
your foot and will provide better ankle support.

You need to sharpen new skate blades after you purchase them. Most
hockey stores will sharpen them for free when you purchase the skates.
Get a regular cut on the blades if your just starting out. The size of
the skates should be about 1 size smaller then your shoe size. It is a
mistake to buy hockey skates that are to big. Your toes should just be
able to wiggle and they should fit tight and snug around your ankles.
The hockey skates should not be loose. When you lace up the skates
there should be about one to two inches width across the laces. You
can also get some extra padding to put under the tongue to help
prevent skate bite.
It is wrong to tie your laces around your ankles. You should not apply
tape around the outside of the skates and your ankles. There is no
such thing as weak ankles. Cheap hockey skates do not support your
ankles. Taping or wrapping the laces around the ankle is not good,
this advise is from a pro hockey player.

How to select the right size hockey stick to play ice hockey
If you play ice hockey or want to start to play. You need to make
sure your hockey stick is the right size. To short or to long a stick
can make you miss handle the hockey puck. The first thing you need to do is select the type of hockey stick
you want. Hockey sticks come in many different types and brands. You
need to determine if you want a one piece hockey stick or one where
you put on the hockey blade yourself. You will have to determine what
type of shaft you want. Hockey stick come in many different materials.
Wood hockey sticks are the cheapest but are also the heaviest. The
light weight sticks are made of composites, carbon graphite, titanium
and can get very expensive.

If you choose to buy the shaft only you will need to get a hockey
blade. The blades are inserted into the end of the hockey stick with
glue. The blades will have the glue on them so you need a heat gun or
blow dryer to melt the glue and push the blade into the end of the
hockey stick. You will need to decide if you want to shoot right or
left handed. Hockey blades come in both types of curve. The more curve
you have the better it is to shoot and pass but it is harder to shoot
a backhand shot. The curve of the hockey blade puts more spin on the
puck and the shot or pass should come from the center to the tip of
the blade.

You need to have to proper length of the hockey stick. To long a
stick can make you skate to erect and to short a stick can make you
skate bent over. You lose some puck control with to long a stick.
The best way if your starting out is to measure the stick with your
skates on. The hockey stick should just touch the bottom of your chin
straight down to the floor. You can also buy plugs to put into the end
of the stick to make it longer. When in the correct skating position
the bottom of the blade should be flat on the ice. After you have
skated with the hockey stick look at the bottom of the stick for wear
this will show you if the stick is the right length and blade. The
wear should be even across the bottom of the blade.
Make sure to tape the blade of the stick with cloth tape this is a
for safety if the blade breaks and helps control the puck on the
blade.